December 29, 2007

In the Madding Crowd

After looking out to sea for long, my camera resting steady in my palm, its strap wound around my forearm, I turned once again to look behind me at the crow, to see what it was upto if it was still around.

But for the crowd thronging the steps that led to where excited passengers boarded arriving boats for the Elephanta caves, craning heads blotting all landscape save the horizon, I might've been busy framing the massive arches of the Gateway of India instead of seeking in a crow, a break from the relentless monotony of the Mumbai weekend crowd.

I thought I was the only one interested in the bird until I turned my head to scan the outcrop running the length of the parapet for the crow, only to find another interested soul doing likewise – a little boy had dropped his hand over the parapet in reaching out to the crow, smile lighting up his face. I was too far away to hear him talk to the crow; moreover the crowd was such that even if I were near I couldn’t have made out much of what he was saying to the bird.

Behind him his parents conversed while his mother lay a light hand on his waist restraining him from leaning any further while a newly married couple to their right looked out to sea, oblivious of the little boy. The crow unaware of the boy peered down the ledge.

The crowd swirled with renewed vigour as a boat approached, excited shouts rending the late afternoon air. Soon the jetty would empty of passengers only to make way for the next lot. Standing there I watched the boy trail his gaze along the outcrop, following the movement of the crow, and I of the boy. In him seeking his temporary world riding a passing moment in the oblivion of the milling throng, I’m reminded of lines from the Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard.

Far from the madding crowd’s ignoble strife,Their sober wishes never learned to stray;Along the cool sequestered vale of lifeThey kept the noiseless tenor of their way.

Anil Babu - I really liked this post. It's fascinating really, the Child's world. An adult bringing that alive is doing a favour to every one around, as he is (even if inadvertantly) smoothening our sharp edges in a manner. You have done it very well in this post, just like Amir Khan has done in TZP. My admiration for your reflections as well your writing is going up all the time.

Dev: Thanks. It's a pleasure to know that :) Each act of 'simplicity' has its own interested proponent. And each 'proponent' seeks out their own sense of simplicity, unless pursuing a specific motive.

Children will seek out their world within the larger one, else they get bored. Sometimes it's surprising how 'elemental' their interest can be, as a result contrary to popular understanding of children being largely self-centered.

Chintuthewhizkid: Thanks.

Bluemountainmama: I wish I knew too. Imagine what it would be like if we could understand the language of birds and animals. We might've been more human after all :)

Chiefbiscuit: Thank you. I was lucky to get this shot, had to move very, very quickly :)

Sriram: Thank you.

Prats: There's something very innocent about a child reaching out to a crow and trying to engage it in a conversation. Maybe it has to do with children making no distinction between life forms, treating all life with the same curiosity, and affection.

Kaustubh: Thank you. Travel enough, and watch out for simple moments it has to offer :)

About Me

At the turn of the century I returned to Bombay from Goa, not an easy decision to make. A software company let me in, then another, then yet another. Time ran past. This time around I was wise enough not to give chase. So occasionally I take my camera along, searching for corners, finding them where none exist. And some of them are painted blue.